Yoga's flex appeal draws athletes
By Karen Price
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, September 7, 2007
Say the word "yoga," and some people still think of a swami sitting in the lotus position, hands cupped upward, chanting "ohm" in meditation.
Those people have never taken an active yoga class like the ones taught at studios all over Pittsburgh, where the poses, the sequence in which they're performed and the length of time they're held produce a heart-pounding, sweat-filled workout that will be remembered the next day.
While yoga can and often does incorporate meditation and relaxation, athletes, particularly runners, cyclists and triathletes, now embrace the practice for its physical workout and usefulness in cross-training and injury prevention.
Baron Baptiste, whose style of Power Vinyasa yoga is taught at Amazing Yoga in both Shadyside and Wexford, has written articles for Yoga Journal magazine on yoga for cyclists, runners, golfers and baseball players. Baptiste, who worked for several years with the Philadelphia Eagles, says that as some muscles are overtaxed, others are underutilized, and as body parts tighten and stiffen, yoga can help restore balance to the body.
Sean Conley and his wife, Karen, studied under Baptiste and own Amazing Yoga. Conley played in the NFL from 1993-96 for the New York Jets, Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts and started doing yoga just as his career ended.
"I used to think the most challenging thing I'd ever done was in training camp, but there are times when I've found yoga to be more challenging," Conley said. "You're waking up dead spots in your body. It's challenging. But at the same time, it's relaxing." Conley said that while many athletes are lured to yoga by the potential for adding core strength and flexibility, it is the mental benefits they come to appreciate the most. "Athletes learn how to relax while they're doing something that's very challenging," Conley said. "That's what yoga is. You go into these postures and they can be challenging physically and mentally, and many athletes tell us that they can translate that to, say, an adventure race. In the past, they were push-push-push in the race, and after practicing breathing and meditation they can be more calm, whether it's in races or in training. They find ways to smooth out their training or stay calm while still in that competitive atmosphere."
